5 ms·

The Stutterer's Song: Remembering Bill Withers

60 points by samclemens 6y ago

enobrev 6y ago
Bill Withers is one of my all-time favorite artists, which makes this a pleasure to read. This article makes some pretty wide stretches to connect the few dots within, but it's well-written.
- mordechai9000 6y ago
  Same. The article is well written, but I prefer to let the music stand alone, rather than try to draw a speculative connection to the artist's life just to fit a narrative. Side note: A couple years ago I was flipping around the radio dial, and I ran across "Sweet Wanomie". I was instantly hooked, but I had no idea who the artist was. It turned out a local independent station put Just As I Am on a loop for six months, as a way of keeping the FCC happy when they had no other programming available. I became very familiar with that album.
  - dan_quixote 6y ago
    I need to know more about this station.
    - mordechai9000 6y ago
      It's a small town, relatively speaking. Only a few hundred thousand people in the area. Someone has a low power license, but they needed volunteers and equipment. The FCC apparently expects FM license holders to broadcast something. So that's what they did while they got organized. Now they are up and running with volunteer DJs who get to play whatever they want.
ZinniaZirconium 6y ago
I remember Bill Withers. https://jango-index.ml/?artist=Bill+Withers https://jango-index.ml/?artist=Bill+Withers
jimmaswell 6y ago
I was expecting Scatman.
- Natsu 6y ago
  Then someone ought to make sure you're not disappointed :) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hy8kmNEo1i8 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hy8kmNEo1i8
- Insanity 6y ago
  That was also the first artist that came to mind for me when reading "stutterer's song".
frogpelt 6y ago
Bill Withers was not afraid to try something unique with his singing. The "I know, I know, I know..." in "Ain't No Sunshine" and in "Lovely Day" he stretches out the "lovely daaaaay" to the point of craziness especially at the end. Love his stuff. He has been sampled and a covered quite a bit.
retox 6y ago
Sorry it's not HN related, but he had some great tracks that are less well known in some circles and deserve more recognition. Let's Pretend - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qiSmeCIi3Lo https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qiSmeCIi3Lo I'm Her Daddy - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5SAke0jV-0o https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5SAke0jV-0o Use Me - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HprVW3gS-H4 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HprVW3gS-H4 Who Is He (And What Is He to You?) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T0bAUY6WzAw https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T0bAUY6WzAw Grandma's Hands - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lcW7UBHSvJ8 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lcW7UBHSvJ8 Harlem - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BbbwiE2GgkE https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BbbwiE2GgkE

60 points by samclemens 6y ago

Bill Withers is one of my all-time favorite artists, which makes this a pleasure to read. This article makes some pretty wide stretches to connect the few dots within, but it's well-written.

mordechai9000 6y ago
Same. The article is well written, but I prefer to let the music stand alone, rather than try to draw a speculative connection to the artist's life just to fit a narrative. Side note: A couple years ago I was flipping around the radio dial, and I ran across "Sweet Wanomie". I was instantly hooked, but I had no idea who the artist was. It turned out a local independent station put Just As I Am on a loop for six months, as a way of keeping the FCC happy when they had no other programming available. I became very familiar with that album.
- dan_quixote 6y ago
  I need to know more about this station.
  - mordechai9000 6y ago
    It's a small town, relatively speaking. Only a few hundred thousand people in the area. Someone has a low power license, but they needed volunteers and equipment. The FCC apparently expects FM license holders to broadcast something. So that's what they did while they got organized. Now they are up and running with volunteer DJs who get to play whatever they want.

ZinniaZirconium 6y ago

I remember Bill Withers. https://jango-index.ml/?artist=Bill+Withers https://jango-index.ml/?artist=Bill+Withers

jimmaswell 6y ago

I was expecting Scatman.

Natsu 6y ago
Then someone ought to make sure you're not disappointed :) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hy8kmNEo1i8 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hy8kmNEo1i8
Insanity 6y ago
That was also the first artist that came to mind for me when reading "stutterer's song".

frogpelt 6y ago

Bill Withers was not afraid to try something unique with his singing. The "I know, I know, I know..." in "Ain't No Sunshine" and in "Lovely Day" he stretches out the "lovely daaaaay" to the point of craziness especially at the end. Love his stuff. He has been sampled and a covered quite a bit.

retox 6y ago

Sorry it's not HN related, but he had some great tracks that are less well known in some circles and deserve more recognition. Let's Pretend - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qiSmeCIi3Lo https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qiSmeCIi3Lo I'm Her Daddy - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5SAke0jV-0o https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5SAke0jV-0o Use Me - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HprVW3gS-H4 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HprVW3gS-H4 Who Is He (And What Is He to You?) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T0bAUY6WzAw https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T0bAUY6WzAw Grandma's Hands - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lcW7UBHSvJ8 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lcW7UBHSvJ8 Harlem - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BbbwiE2GgkE https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BbbwiE2GgkE